Oklahoma
Ready to roam? With a sunny climate and mild winters, Oklahoma’s packed with recreational activities and adventure. You can indulge in everything from golf and fishing to camping, rappelling and dune buggy riding – nearly year-round. So c’mon, explore the great outdoors! Count ’em: 300 museums and historic sights – including the national treasure Gilcrease Art Museum and world-class National Cowboy Hall of Fame. And that doesn’t even include theme parks, state parks, rodeos, festivals, lake fun and the many celebrations of Native American culture. How many can you squeeze into your schedule?
From Quapaw to Texola, get your kicks on nearly 400 miles of the famous Route 66, reliving the days of roadside diners, old-fashioned service stations and classic American cars. Or follow other roads to see dinosaur footprints in the panhandle.
Cowboy country since the days of the Chisholm Trail, northwest Oklahoma is as hospitable as broken-in saddle leather. The history of this region — land runs, dinosaur discoveries and a Cheyenne village massacre – is as diverse as the terrain you’ll find here — sand dunes, mesas and canyons, to name a few. If you find yourself traveling at dusk in the western Panhandle between Boise City and Kenton, you’ll likely experience one of the most spectacular sunsets you’ve ever seen.
From the oil wells on the State Capitol lawn to elegant Native American art galleries, from bistros to board rooms, central Oklahoma reveals a mix of proud Western heritage, historic downtown districts and cosmopolitan sophistication. Besides the Mother Road, Interstates 35, 40 and 44 all converge in Oklahoma City, making it a great place to step off the beaten path and discover some of America’s heartland. Many of the cities in this region were created in a matter of days when thousands of land prospectors rushed to stake claims during the 1889 Land Run. In almost any given month, you’re sure to find a festival or other annual event celebrating a community’s heritage, culture or other unique offering. The region is also home to several outstanding attractions and memorials that showcase the true spirit of Oklahoma.
The Southwest corner of Oklahoma will not only experience the native beauty of mountains rising out of windswept flatlands, but they can also feast on tales of buried outlaw treasure, Spanish gold mines, and Native American legends like Geronimo and Quanah Parker. Art galleries happily coexist alongside hardware stores on many a small town Main Street. And folks still serve generous helpings of hospitality to both tourists and wheat farmers in search of hot coffee and freshly baked pie.
Nature pours it on in southeastern Oklahoma, with no holds barred. The blue-tinged Ouachita Mountains are thick with towering pines, and the foliage in spring and fall provides a spectacular show. For hunters, campers and water recreationists, it’s an outdoor lover’s paradise offering some of the best playgrounds in the region. It’s a land of retreats and refuges, where cabins back up to mountain streams and wild turkeys stroll onto golf course fairways. Logging roads challenge mountain bikers and horse trails follow river crossings. You can’t help but slow down here and appreciate nature’s beauty, and that suits the locals and out-of-towners just fine.
Northeastern Oklahoma has always been lush land filled with lakes, forest and tallgrass prairie. But it’s also a land rich in Native American history, Route 66 landmarks and a host of cultural treasures. Visitors to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s second largest city, will find Art Deco churches and skyscrapers, world-class art museums and an African-American historical district that, in summer, still wails with blues and jazz. Don’t forget the swimsuit and sunscreen – northeast Oklahoma is home to an abundance of water, including Grand Lake, the Illinois River and Lake Eufaula..
